Social Anxiety Study Deadline Extended to 12th February 2021

[Psychologyboffin]

When SAD Began: Participants needed for a study to explore the experiences at which social anxiety symptom onset first occurred in adults living with Social Anxiety Disorder

Can you remember the exact event or situation that marked the beginning of Social Anxiety Disorder in your life? Would you like to contribute to the growing knowledge about social anxiety which will aid the development of effective treatment? If you have answered yes to both questions, then please read on.

Michelle Gooden, MSc Psychology student at Coventry University, under the supervision of Dr Ksenija Maravic da Silva is conducting research into the experiences of initial symptom onset in individuals living with Social Anxiety Disorder.

What is the purpose of the study?

The purpose of the study is to gain insight into the experiences of adults with Social Anxiety Disorder during the event at which social anxiety symptoms first appeared. This will be achieved by exploring what people say about the events at which they first noticed the symptoms. The study aims to address the lack of research literature on the specific events at which Social Anxiety Disorder symptoms first appear.

By sharing your experiences with us, you will be helping Michelle Gooden and Coventry University to better understand the processes involved in the symptom onset of Social Anxiety Disorder with the aim of improving current or developing new treatment practices.

Who can take part in this study?

Adults aged 18 or over who have been clinically diagnosed or self-diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and do not have a history of any other mental health conditions (except depression).

(Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Asperger Syndrome are excluded from taking part in this study).

What will happen if I decide to take part?

We will email you a Participant Information sheet with more details about the study and a consent form for you to sign and return to us. After we have received your signed consent form, you will receive a link via email which will direct you to an online survey where you will be asked some multiple-choice questions regarding how anxiety affects you in different social situations. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Within 5 days of completing the survey, you will then receive an invitation via email inviting you to talk to Michelle (who is very friendly) about the event/situation at which you first noticed the social anxiety symptoms. Please note, you may not receive an invitation if you do not meet the specified criteria or if we have already met our target number of participants, but you will be notified of this via email. If you are invited to talk, this will take place via video call on Microsoft Teams (similar to Zoom or Skype) at a time that is convenient to you (We understand that this mode of communication may be difficult for many with Social Anxiety Disorder, so if preferred the audio only option can be selected so that you are not visible to the researcher and the researcher will not be visible to you).
You do not need to have a Teams account, but you will need an internet connection and either a smart phone, tablet or computer/laptop to participate. Ideally, we would like to audio record your responses (you will have already given your signed consent for this before the interview date has been confirmed). The interview should take no more than 45 minutes to complete and you can withdraw at any time if you so wish without having to give a reason.

Will my experiences and responses be kept confidential?

Yes, absolutely! Any information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous and will conform to the Data Protection Act of 2018 and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) guidelines. You will receive details in the Participant Information Sheet on how your data will be stored and used.

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in participating in this exciting project or would like to ask any further questions, please contact myself, the lead researcher Michelle Gooden no later than 12th February 2021 email: goodenm@uni.coventry.ac.uk

You may also post questions on this forum and I will do my best to answer your questions. Please bear in mind that I may be unable to answer some questions if there is a risk of influencing the outcome of the study.

If you have any concerns regarding the authenticity of this research, you may contact the research supervisor:

Dr Ksenija Maravic da Silva

Assistant Professor in Psychology
School of Psychological,
Social and Behavioural Sciences
Coventry University
Priory Street
Coventry
CV1 5FB

Email: ad4042@coventry.ac.uk

This study has been reviewed and approved through Coventry University’s formal research ethics procedure.

Deadline for registering interest: 12th February 2021

[Aelwyn]

I wouldn't have minded sharing my SA experience for this study, but would have wanted to do it in writing rather than as a spoken conversation.